The new novel 'Fair Play' is a self-aware take on the golden age of detective fiction

NPR's Book of the Day

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

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Summary

In the new novel Fair Play, Abigail is hosting a murder mystery party at an Irish country house on New Year's Eve. She's also in deep mourning for her brother. The story's opening reads as a typical setup for a crime novel. But Irish author Louise Hegarty's debut novel honors the golden age of detective fiction while simultaneously turning the genre on its head. In today's episode, Hegarty joins NPR's Ayesha Rascoe for a conversation that touches on Fair Play's meta elements, as well as its atypical relationship to grief.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaung. A couple weeks back in the
0:06.7	Book of the Day newsletter, which you should subscribe to, by the way, it's a fun time over there.
0:11.6	I wrote a post about how mystery, crime, and thriller books are super popular, particularly among
0:17.0	women. And I got a huge chunk of readers emailing me back saying, listen, I love mystery books
0:22.2	and not crime and thriller novels, or I don't care for thrillers, but what I do love are
0:27.5	Golden Age mystery novels. So, first off, my bad, maybe mysteries shouldn't be grouped in with
0:34.1	thrillers. Secondly, for all of you, golden age mystery lovers, today's
0:37.9	episode is for you. It's an interview between NPR's Aisha Roscoe and author Louise Hegarty,
0:43.1	whose new novel, Fairplay, is very much in this tradition. That's ahead.
0:48.8	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show,
0:59.1	Sources and Methods.
1:00.2	NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,
1:03.9	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:07.5	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:12.9	In the new novel Fairplay, two things can be true.
1:17.8	Abigail can be hosting a New Year's Eve murder mystery dinner party at an Airbnb.
1:23.5	In this envelope, you will find a character carriage which gives you information that no one else knows.
1:28.7	You will see that there is specific instructions, but you should...
1:31.8	Abigail can also be in deep mourning for Benjamin, her only sibling.
1:37.4	Our sincere condolences to Abigail on the tragic and sudden passing of your dear brother.
1:43.5	Fair play is the debut novel of Irish author
1:46.8	Louise Hegarty. It honors the golden age of crime novels just as it turns the genre on its head.
	...

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